Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 1: Chapter 127: Li Wen Yous poisonous plan

Chu Ze’s complexion darkened as he regained his footing, striding towards the messenger with a piercing gaze. He thundered, “Who is responsible? Who has severed our supply lines?”

His emotions roiled with a mixture of rage and apprehension. Even though he had always believed himself to be the destined protagonist, he had never anticipated such harrowing trials.

Since obtaining the system, he had navigated every challenge with unwavering confidence. He had quelled the imperial court, solidified control over the capital, and achieved absolute dominance over the entire nation, setting his sights on the conquest of the neighbouring three countries. In his mind, there had been no one capable of matching his prowess in all cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west.

Now, however, an inexplicable sense of dread gripped him.

He frantically interrogated his system, but it provided no information, nor did it issue any new missions. The sense of foreboding had begun a month earlier, with the onslaught of the Blood Bat Locusts. Subsequent unexpected events had compounded his unease, culminating in the loss of his most formidable subordinate, Lu Feng Xian.

Chu Ze held a firm conviction that a hidden and influential force was orchestrating schemes against him from the shadows.

However, he had never fathomed that the source of this threat would be human.

Initially, he had presumed that Lu Feng Xian had met his end at the claws of the rumoured ancestor of the Demonic Beast Forest.

Witnessing his lord’s dazed expression and sensing the stirring of his heart demon, Li Wen You swiftly rose to his feet to implore him, “Lord, please, you must quell your anger.”

“How can I possibly remain calm in such dire circumstances?” Chu Ze bellowed, unleashing his Sky Reaching realm aura in a torrent that set the tent’s fabric swaying. His expression was marked by fury, and his face flushed with indignation.

The messenger’s face drained of colour as he stammered, “Your Majesty, I shall take my leave!”

Without further ado, he hastily scrambled out of the tent.

Guan Yun Chang, witnessing this, promptly swung his blade at the messenger, rendering him unconscious. He then stroked his beard, his voice grave as he addressed his sovereign, “Your Majesty, it is paramount that we first restore the morale of our troops. Otherwise, when the demonic beasts close in around us, our chances of emerging unscathed will be slim.”

Li Wen You quickly agreed, “Indeed, Your Majesty, a strategic withdrawal is our best course of action.”

More than just advocating for a retreat, he was eager to understand the rationale behind Chu Ze’s decision to call off the advancement into the three countries and instead launch an attack on the Demonic Beast Forest. It was this decision that prompted the swift counterattacks from the three nations’ armies.

Chu Ze nodded slowly, his previously menacing expression gradually fading. Yet, a cruel determination soon overcame him as he turned to Li Wen You, “How do we retreat? You tell me!”

Li Wen You stroked his chin and cast a calculating gaze at the lush vegetation outside the tent. His face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, bore a foreboding aura.

“Why not consider using fire?”

He swiftly outlined his plan to Chu Ze, eliciting a slight furrow of Guan Yun Chang’s brow as he glanced at his lord.

Chu Ze hesitated for a moment. However, a simmering resentment lingering in his heart ultimately tipped the balance. He nodded decisively. “Very well, we shall proceed with your plan.”

Before long, the soldiers within the Demonic Beast Forest began to mobilize, prompting the wary gaze of the nearby demonic beast scouts. The beasts watched the humans closely, fearing a sudden attack.

Hidden amidst the mountainous terrain, mountain pig’s eyes burned with intense resentment as he observed the bustling human soldiers below.

A group of demonic beasts at the Sky Reaching realm trailed behind him, their expressions shifting slightly as they, too, fixated on the activity within the camp.

“Mountain pig, what should we do? Should we launch an attack?” One of the demonic beasts inquired.

Although they had no previous grievances with humans, recent events had sown fresh enmity between them. Their elder brother, purple wolf, had perished at human hands, and their ancestor was currently missing and likely harmed. Coupled with the loss of their brethren at the hands of Chu’s hunters in recent days, their resentment had grown exponentially.

Their eyes were filled with venom, so potent it seemed capable of piercing the humans with just a glance.

Mountain pig shook his head with deliberation, “Not yet. The time is not ripe.”

He understood that with his current strength, he could harm the Chu soldiers but not the Sky Reaching realm experts among them. He bided his time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

The human soldiers continued to move about within the camp, each carrying something in their hands. Several of them ventured into the forest, clutching mysterious objects to their chests. With over a hundred thousand individuals working in unison, the sheer scale of their activity was formidable, and now, tens of thousands of soldiers were beginning to disperse.

In front of them, a portion of the vanguard was still embroiled in combat with a group of demonic beasts.

Upon receiving Chu Ze’s message, Ma Meng Qi and Pang Shi Yuan exchanged troubled glances.

Pang Shi Yuan, who was still indulging in alcohol, spoke with slurred words, “I never thought this would hit His Majesty so hard that he’d resort to such a tactic.”

Ma Meng Qi examined Chu Ze’s message with a furrowed brow and replied, “Indeed, it’s difficult to accept. However, this is a direct order from His Majesty, and we must follow it.”

As he contemplated the situation, Li Wen You briefly crossed Ma Meng Qi’s mind, and he suspected that this plan was likely proposed by this man.

He stepped out of the camp, his gaze fixed on the distant group of beasts. He muttered to himself, “I fear today will be a tumultuous one.”

Among the vanguard’s soldiers, expressions shifted, and some uttered curses aloud, “What in the world? Fire? We’re still inside the forest!”

“That’s right! We’re in the south, and if the winds change, the fire could engulf us, leaving no time for escape!”

“Has His Majesty lost his mind? Did the general go mad too? This is sheer madness!”

While the idea of using fire within a forest held merit, attempting such a feat in the expansive Demonic Beast Forest, especially when the seasonal winds were not in their favour, appeared to be a reckless endeavour.

Ma Meng Qi was acutely aware of the risky nature of the plan, but he had no choice but to place his trust in his lord.

With authority in his voice, he bellowed, “Listen up, everyone! Those who dare to defy these orders will face charges of treason and be executed without mercy!”

The soldiers’ expressions shifted uncomfortably, forced to comply as they hastily carried fuel and hay into the forest with sombre faces.

Under the brilliant moonlight, an army of tens of thousands swiftly completed their preparations in the vicinity.

Chu Ze, standing atop the highest point in the camp, commanded, “Ignite the fires in five minutes! Everyone, withdraw!”

Several suicide soldiers clutched torches, passing them among each other. Their faces bore the determination to die and an unwavering commitment to fulfil Chu Ze’s orders, seeking glory in their sacrifice.

In the fiery glow of the torches, their expressions radiated heroism.

Before long, they donned black attire, divided into groups of three, and charged into the forest armed with blades.

Chu Ze watched their departing figures, a hint of inner turmoil flickering across his face. However, he swiftly regained his composure, muttering with resolve, “I am the king! The king’s commands are absolute!”

Behind him, bathed in the campfire’s eerie glow, Li Wen You’s ominous expression stared at Chu Ze. He spoke softly, “Your Majesty, we can begin now.”

Stepping back, Li Wen You allowed Chu Ze to take charge of the unfolding situation.

Under Chu Ze’s orders, Guan Yun Chang, Zhao Zi Long, Guo Feng Xiao, and the others led the army in a coordinated retreat.

Chu Ze extended his arms slowly, his mental call summoning the power of the system. A radiant glow began to emanate from his hands, forming the image of a strategist standing upon a lofty platform, gently fanning a feathered fan.

With a mere thought, the sky’s hue shifted, the wind and clouds altered their course, and the wind’s direction changed instantaneously. This transformation within the mental image slowly manifested in reality.

The translucent figure was the top strategist of the Three Kingdoms, the strategist who had borrowed the east wind:

Zhuge Liang!

Translator’s note:

Borrowing this except from this website:

Zhuge Liang was an amateur meteorologist, and he used this fact to convince people that he could control the weather. His knowledge of meteorology was very basic, something any farmer who paid attention would have known. Nonetheless, his enemies didn’t have this knowledge. So it was easy to bamboozle them.

During one battle, he realized that the wind was likely to switch direction in a manner that was highly favourable for his army.

He made sure the enemy saw him do an elaborate ceremony that looked like black magic. He kept at it until the wind changed direction. As a result, his reputation as a fearsome indispensable strategist grew massively.

Pee.

Also, the chapter title was ‘Li Ru’s Poisonous Plan’, but since we’ve been using his courtesy name this whole time, ‘Li Wen You’, I switched it to avoid confusion.

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